Name       : Tin
Symbol     : Sn
Atomic #   : 50
Atom weight: 118.69
Melting P. : 231.97
Boiling P. : 2270
Oxidation  : +2, +4
Pronounced : TIN 
From       : Named after the Etruscan god, Tinia; Chemical symbol taken
             from the Latin name for the element, stannum
Identified : Identified and applied in ancient times
Appearance : Silvery-white, soft, malleable and ductile metal
Note       : Used to make alloys and tin cans
           
[Properties]

  Tin is a IVA metal. Pure tin is ductile and malleable, and therefore
adaptable to a wide range of forming processes such as rolling, spinning,
and extruding. Tin is basically a silvery-white metal that looks much like
freshly cut aluminum, but feels more like lead. Polished tin as a slight
bluish color that is caused by the reaction of the metal with oxygen in
the atmosphere. This oxide, tin(IV) oxide, forms a thin protective layer
that prevents further oxidation of the sample.
  Tin has two, well-defined allotropes known as gray tin (alpha form) and
white tin (beta form). The gray form is stable at temperatures below 13.2
degrees, while the white form is more stable above that temperature.
Normal room temperature is considered to be about 20 degrees, so it
follows that the most common form is the white, or beta, form.
  Both of these allotropes have highly defined crystalline structures. In
fact, bending a bar of tin produces a characteristic squealing sound, or
"cry", as the crystals are separated.
